Coca-Cola lawyers say Vitamin Water is not a healthy beverage

Coca-Cola, the parent company of Vitamin Water, is being refreshingly honest. As it faces a lawsuit from the Center for Science in the Public Interest that claims that the health claims made over Vitamin Water are bogus, Coca-Cola’s legal team is defending the company by saying that “no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking Vitamin Water was a healthy beverage,” writes the Huffington Post. This comes in spite of the aggressive marketing of the Vitamin Water product, in which its supposed health benefits are touted.

Is Coca-Cola justifying Vitamin Water lies or simply belittling customers?

Truth be told, experts have found that Vitamin Water is essentially sugar water (33 grams per serving), reports the Post. That’s soft drink territory, even if the sugar level is lower than regular Coke. Then add “about a penny’s worth of synthetic vitamins” and that supposedly makes Vitamin Water healthy enough for spokesmen like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to sing its praises and ring the cash registers for Coca-Cola. Tell that to the 35 percent of Americans who are considered medically obese, says the Post.

Avoid liquid calories, says Johns Hopkins

In a 2009 report, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health advised cutting out liquid calories. This technique is among the quickest way to reliably lose weight. Vitamin Water or any other liquid product with added sugar falls into that category of “liquid calories.”

The federal judge’s ruling against Coca-Cola

U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson of New York’s was made rather easy by Coca-Cola’s decision not , wrote, “At oral arguments, defendants (Coca-Cola) suggested that no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking vitamin water was a healthy beverage.” Noting that the soft drink giant wasn’t claiming the lawsuit was wrong on factual grounds, the judge wrote that, “Accordingly, I must accept the factual allegations in the complaint as true.”

Will Coca-Cola still spend millions marketing Vitamin Water as healthy?

How much Coca-Cola will spend marketing Vitamin Water remains to be seen. For those looking for healthy fluids, try water. Throw in some lemon juice or tea if you want flavor. If your tap water’s taste leaves something to be desired, get a filter for the tap or your water pitcher. For those looking for nutrients, try fruits and vegetables. If the Vitamin Water lie bothers you, exercise your power of choice and don’t buy it. Coca-Cola will get the message eventually, if enough people exercise common sense.